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LA JOLLA – The California men's tennis team ended its run in the Pacific Coast Men's Doubles Championship on Saturday, when Golden Bears Carl Emil Overbeck and Siddhant Banthia lost in the round of 16 at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club.

The third-seeded duo fell to San Diego State's 17th-seeded Chikaya Sato and Johannes Seeman, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

"Sid and Carlo did well to win two matches in this tournament," said Kris Kwinta, Cal's Peter Wright Director of Men's Tennis. "That was nice to see. We're still kind of dealing with some injuries and sickness from the past week, and, unfortunately, we couldn't put all our best teams out there, but such is life. Next year we'll come back stronger."

Outside of the La Jolla tournament, the Bears have dominated in doubles during the dual-match season. They've captured the doubles point in every contest – not including the San Francisco and UC Davis matches that didn't include doubles – but the 5-2 win over San Diego on Thursday.

"We've had a great season in terms of doubles for sure," Kwinta said. "We have a lot of depth and experience and a lot of success. We've been clicking, so it was a little bit shocking we gave up the doubles point so easily against USD. But we have enough depth in singles to make up the deficit, which was the case this time."

Cal (7-2) returns to Berkeley to host four matches in seven days, as the 35th-ranked Bears play No. 11 Columbia on March 13, No. 75 SMU on March 15, No. 36 Arizona State on March 17 – in both teams' Pac-12 opener – and No. 17 Arizona on March 19 at the Hellman Tennis Complex.

Pacific Coast Men's Doubles Championship March 4, 2023, in La Jolla, Calif. La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club

Main Draw

Round of 16 [17] Chikaya Sato/Johannes Seeman (SDSU) def. [3] Siddhant Banthia/Carl Emil Overbeck (Cal), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2

Along with the disease, which can be transmitted to dogs and humans, the pup had more than 100 rocks in his stomach. But after six weeks of treatment, he was released back into the wild.

A sea lion pup found at La Jolla Cove carrying a rare and contagious bacterial infection has been released back into the wild after being rescued and treated by SeaWorld San Diego.

The sea lion’s type of infection, the last of which had been seen at SeaWorld about eight years ago, is not only communicable — and potentially lethal — to other sea lions but also can be transmitted to dogs and humans.

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In January, the SeaWorld Rescue Team was at The Cove on a report of another animal that may need care when it noticed a different sea lion that was isolated, underweight and lethargic.

“The sea lion we got the call about appeared to be OK, so we didn’t take it,” said rescue team curator Kim Peterson. “But the [sea lion pup] we did take was exhibiting some concerning behaviors and symptoms.”

The rescuers took the pup to SeaWorld for evaluation by a larger team and an onsite veterinarian. “The whole team agreed something was very, very wrong,” Peterson said.

“The veterinary team conducted diagnostics on the sea lion and they showed that he was suspicious for a disease called leptospirosis,” according to SeaWorld. “Targeted treatment was immediately initiated and eventually we confirmed that he was positive for this disease. Leptospirosis is a potentially lethal bacterial disease and considered an important zoonotic pathogen (which can spread between animals and people).”

Peterson said there have been leptospirosis outbreaks in other areas, but “I don’t recall one in San Diego. He could have got it elsewhere and brought it here.”

In humans, leptospirosis can cause a wide range of symptoms, some of which may be mistaken for other diseases. Some infected people, however, may have no symptoms at all, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Without treatment, the CDC says, leptospirosis can lead to kidney damage, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord), liver failure, respiratory distress and even death.

“The last positive case of leptospirosis we saw was eight years ago,” Peterson said. “So it is rare but contagious. We had to quarantine the pup and provide treatment. We gave him fluids and nutritional fish slurry and medication to make him comfortable. He stabilized pretty rapidly, and soon more diagnostics were done to make sure there was nothing else wrong.”

But there was.

In addition to the leptospirosis, the veterinary team found on an X-ray that the sea lion had ingested more than 100 rocks that would need to be removed for him to fully recover. Gastroscopy (introducing a tube-shaped camera via the mouth into the stomach) was performed and more than a pound and a half of rocks were removed — one at a time — from his stomach over a series of five procedures.

“Sea lions occasionally eat rocks, but I’ve never seen this many,” Peterson said. “There is no way of telling what would cause him to do it. He didn’t have a lot of room for food in his stomach because of all the rocks.”

The treatment took about six weeks overall, and now “he’s fabulous,” Peterson said. “His bloodwork was normal, he is moving really well and he’s back to normal weight.”

And this month he was released back into the wild.

“This all started because people were observant and paid attention to the animals and called us,” Peterson said. “So much of what we do is dependent on people calling us. We can’t do our job without the public’s help, and the community of La Jolla is really important to us and helps us help as many animals as we can. We really appreciate it.”

SeaWorld typically rescues sea lion pups that are malnourished or left behind while their mothers are out to sea hunting. They also may be entangled in fishing line or netting and/or injured from things such as a boat propeller or shark bite.

Peterson advised people who are tempted to interact with the local pinnipeds that “it’s always best to keep your distance from wildlife. That’s not just for the animal but for the safety of the onlooker. Wild animals are unpredictable, so there is a fine line between getting too close and getting a good look.”

The SeaWorld San Diego Rescue Team can be reached at (800) 541-SEAL (7325) or via email at SWC.Rescue@seaworld.com. ◆

SAN DIEGO — With the beachgoing season fast approaching, visitors and locals alike will be flocking to the San Diego coast to lounge on the shore or check out one of the other iconic attractions: the sea lions in the La Jolla Cove.

While the mammals are a sight to behold in person, growing numbers of people have taken to social media to document what marine life experts deem problematic behavior by visitors, including harassment, people getting too close to the wild animals to take pictures or what appears to be feeding attempts.

“Where people are inserting themselves for (a) selfie or for a picture to put on the internet, there are repercussions or things that can happen to the animals as a result of our interactions,” marine mammal stranding coordinator for NOAA Fisheries, Justin Viezbicke, said to FOX5SanDiego.com.

Things as simple as people using the shore as a place to lounge like one of San Diego’s other beaches is one of the ways that people can have an adverse effect on the mammals, because it disrupts their normal patterns of behavior that can put both beachgoers and sea lions at risk.

One such instance of this was documented in an infamous viral video on TikTok last summer that showed two sea lions chasing each other through the crowd before turning to the water.

Experts after the incident explained that the behavior was not an act of aggression towards humans, but at least two dozen people were directly in the way of the sea lions who were likely just trying to establish a territory for mating.

But these animals can weigh anywhere from 400 to 800 lbs. Had one of the mammals run into one of the people on the beach that day, they’d likely be seriously hurt.

Other things like getting too close – even if someone is not directly interacting with one of the animals – could potentially injure someone or an animal when their fight or flight response is triggered.

“These are wild animals. Anytime you try to get close or interact with a wild animal, there’s no guarantee what’s going to happen,” Viezbicke said. “What we try to tell people (is that) it’s best to err on the side of caution. Give that animal space, because there’s a chance that they could react.”

When this response is triggered, Viezbicke explained that it’s possible that the animals could injure themselves on the rocky waters around La Jolla or that pups could get separated from their mothers during a time when they are unable to take care of themselves.

The City of San Diego has approved an annual seasonal closure near the beach along the Point La Jolla bluffs from May 1 to Oct. 31 for this very reason of protecting the mammals during their pupping season. The Cove, however, remains open.

Most marine mammal regulations, however, are implemented by the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries department, including laws that make it illegal to engage in some of the behavior seen by unknowing visitors to La Jolla Cove.

The main set of laws around these kinds of behaviors is the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. This act makes certain things like harassment and feeding of marine mammals, like whales, dolphins, seals and sea lions, a federal offense.

Under the law, harassment can take two forms:

Anyone engaging in behavior that is considered to be a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act could be fined upwards of $11,000 or face up to a year in prison.

While these regulations are in place, it does not mean that it is impossible for people to see the sea lions that reside in the La Jolla Cove. Visitors are encouraged to “share the shore” with sea lions when visiting them, in order to avoid disturbing their natural habitat.

Of the things that they recommend people can do to responsibly visit the animals, NOAA fisheries says to leave sea lions alone as much as possible.

Visitors are encouraged to keep a distance of about 50 to 100 yards from the sea lions when visiting them in their habitat, like La Jolla Cove. Use of binoculars or telephoto lenses are recommended to get an up close view of the creatures while at a safe distance.

Avoid circling or entrapping, abrupt movements and loud noises near sea lions and other marine mammals along the beach. Behavior like that could set off the animals

Other suggestions from NOAA Fisheries include: limit overall viewing time to about 30 minutes, stay out of the water near the mammals’ habitat, try not to touch a wild marine mammal even if they approach and move cautiously if behaviors that indicate agitation or stress.

Learn more about responsible behaviors for viewing these animals in the wild and the Marine Mammal Protection Act on the NOAA Fisheries website.

“This is a very unique and actually super awesome opportunity to see two different species – harbor seals and California sea lions – pupping… There’s not a lot of places in mainland California where you can see (that),” Viezbicke said. “But if we want to continue to see that, we as people need to be more responsible and understand that our actions have consequences.”

Members of the La Jolla Parks & Beaches board are voicing concern over a possible loophole in San Diego’s regulations on sidewalk vending, which has started to re-emerge recently in areas like Scripps Park after enforcement went into full effect in coastal areas Feb. 1.

Sidewalk vendors are regulated by an ordinance the City Council passed last year that took effect in most of the city June 22. But its restrictions focusing largely on where vendors can operate could not be enforced in coastal communities while awaiting review by the California Coastal Commission. The commission agreed in August to withdraw its review and allow enforcement in the coastal zone.

The ordinance includes regulations for permitting and health and safety and aims to block vending year-round at La Jolla’s Scripps Park, Children’s Pool, the Coast Boulevard boardwalk between Jenner and Cuvier streets, and on main thoroughfares in some business districts, such as the boardwalk at La Jolla Shores, according to local officials. Vendors are allowed to continue operating on the cross streets and side streets in those areas.

La Jolla Parks & Beaches President Bob Evans said the enforcement has had “a lot of positive results” and caused “a significant decrease in what was out-of-control vending.” But he said he has seen vendors “creeping back in” to the public shoreline parks.

Some are operating under speech protected by the First Amendment and others are operating on a donation basis — neither of which are regulated in the sidewalk vending ordinance.

Thus, some people at the La Jolla Parks & Beaches board’s Feb. 27 meeting expressed concern about the concept of “donations” and whether vendors who choose to accept donations will be allowed to operate.

Trustee John Shannon said that with the donation loophole, the number of vending stands could rival that of the La Jolla Open Aire Market.

Venus Molina, chief of staff for City Councilmember Jennifer Campbell — whose District 2 office helped broker the agreement with the Coastal Commission that allowed the ordinance to be enforced in the coastal zone — previously told the La Jolla Light, a publication of the U-T Community Press, that commercial activities that seek donations instead of a set charge are not considered vending.

At the La Jolla Parks & Beaches board meeting, where Molina was not present, Evans said: “It’s clear vending is merchandise sales and money transactions. … And some of these vendors are transacting, so I’m trying to understand who is setting these definitions and policies at the city.”

He said there is confusion about how the city defines vending and asked for clarification from city representatives in attendance. They agreed to return with more information at a future meeting.

One person who attended the meeting told the La Jolla Light that he offered an artist money for a piece that was listed as available by donation, but the artist said the donation wasn’t enough for the art and would not accept it.

Molina later told the La Jolla Light that people who see someone using donations as a loophole should report the vendor and file a complaint to San Diego’s Code Enforcement Division or to park rangers with the vendor’s name, location and/or what the vendor is offering.

“The vending ordinance is for people selling goods,” she said. “Those that ask for donations (instead of a set price) are being sneaky and trying to game the system. They should accept a dollar, even if the suggested donation is $20.”

“This is going to be handled on a case-by-case basis, but it is going to be enforced,” Molina said. “Once word gets out that (using donations) is going to be addressed, it’s going to get squashed.”

The Code Enforcement Division can be reached at (619) 236-5500.

Silicon Valley Bank became the biggest U.S. lender to fail in more than a decade after a tumultuous week that saw an unsuccessful attempt to raise capital and a cash exodus by the tech startups that had fueled the lender’s rise.

Regulators stepped in and seized the Santa Clara, Calif.-based bank Friday, a stunning downfall for a lender that had quadrupled in size over the last five years and was valued at more than $40 billion as recently as last year.

The move by California state watchdogs to take possession of the bank, known as SVB, and appoint the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. as receiver adds to the turmoil at smaller lenders caused by rapid interest rate increases in the U.S. and other disruptions.

Just days earlier, Silvergate Capital in La Jolla announced it was shutting down its bank, spurring a broader selloff in industry stocks.

Banks were already suffering from the jump in rates that eroded the value of their portfolios, and meanwhile customers in the technology and crypto startup worlds were yanking cash amid a slump in their businesses. In SVB’s case, the turmoil fed on itself as customers worried about its health rushed to withdraw money.

“Bank runs are a lot about psychology. And at this point, it’s very rational to be nervous,” said Saule Omarova, a law professor at Cornell University.

In Washington, the situation prompted a series of discussions among top regulators.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called a meeting Friday with leaders from the Federal Reserve, the FDIC and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to discuss developments around SVB. Yellen said in a statement that the U.S. banking system “remains resilient” and regulators “have effective tools” to address the fallout.

The government is assessing whether it can sell SVB, or parts of it, by Monday, said a person familiar with officials’ conversations, who asked not to be identified speaking about internal deliberations. That’s the day when customers can come to the bank and start taking out the rest of their money.

Treasury representatives didn’t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Problems mounted for the bank after Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund and other high-profile venture capital firms advised their portfolio companies to pull money from SVB. The calls followed parent company SVB Financial Group announcing that it would try to raise more than $2 billion after a significant loss on its portfolio.

The FDIC said that SVB’s insured depositors would have access to their funds by no later than Monday morning. Uninsured depositors will get a receivership certificate for the remaining amount of their uninsured funds, the regulator said, adding that it doesn’t yet know the amount. In announcing the takeover, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation cited inadequate liquidity and insolvency.

Receivership typically means a bank’s deposits will be assumed by another, healthy bank, or the FDIC will pay depositors up to the $250,000 insured limit.

“The FDIC receivership will end the uncertainty about this particular bank,” Omarova said. le Omarova, “But I don’t think that necessarily itself stops people from feeling less safe if they have some kind of exposure to assets or they hold their own money in banks with similar risk profiles.”

SVB was founded in 1983 over a poker game between Bill Biggerstaff and Robert Medearis, according to a statement from the bank’s 20th anniversary. Since its start, the firm has specialized in providing financial services to tech startups.

U.S. regulators arrived at the California offices of SVB as the troubled lender struggled to stabilize its finances on Thursday, Bloomberg News reported.

The bank had about $209 billion in total assets and about $175.4 billion in total deposits at the end of last year, the FDIC said Friday.

Bloomberg writer Max Reyes contributed to this report.